The official blog of the IWLCA

Best of 2017

To celebrate the end of our second year of publishing Behind the Whistle, we are highlighting some of our most relevant and popular posts from 2017. We hope that if you missed some of them, you’ll take the opportunity to catch up and read them, and if you are a faithful reader that never misses an entry, we hope you’ll give these a re-read and enjoy them once again.

Many prospective student-athletes (PSAs) find that participating in a Recruiting Tournament or Showcase can be stressful when the sidelines are packed with college coaches there to watch them compete. On top of that, most players have no idea what the coaches from each program are looking for, or whether they are looking for the same thing. While there is no easy answer to these questions that applies to every coach, there are some answers that apply to most coaches that will set your mind at ease. Read on to hear directly from the college coaches regarding their advice to prospects.

Dear Sports Parents: It’s me, your coach. I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that I appreciate and recognize that you are among the group of “good parents” who support their child in athletics, the right way. You may have noticed that you are a rare yet respected breed in this era of athlete entitlement which coaches of the world are slowly being swallowed by. The decision you have made to be supportive rather than critical of my leadership is something that radiates through your athlete. This gives me and many coaches like me, hope for the future of sports.

I really dislike it when people make statements as if they represent an entire race of people. However, in this case there are so few of us, who’s going to stop me? And frankly the perspective needs to be discussed. I would first like to start off by saying race is a very sensitive subject, especially today. The opinions that I express are my own experiences that have given me a small glimpse inside the complex world of institutional racism and social biases. It makes me cringe to think that there are people that don’t believe that these things exist but they do. It’s even more surprising that if you had asked me in High School I would have also vehemently denied the claim. I was in a bubble, a quaint little community called McDonogh, a college prep school where on weekends I went to Bar Mitzvahs and ate curry at birthday parties.

Author’s Note: Danie Caro has been hounding me for what feels like forever to write something for Behind the Whistle, to which many fellow coaches have bravely made submissions. I have no pearls of wisdom or profound discoveries, just some good ol’ fashion fun in the form of a TOP TEN list. We should start where we are now: Ten Signs That You are in Lacrosse Season. Danie – go ahead and put me down for two more of these for “Recruiting Season” and “Off-Season.” Off-Season… what’s that? #amiright

You know that feeling, when all eyes are on you. As September 1 approaches, college coaches, administrators, media, and the NCAA are all watching to see how the lacrosse community handles the first cycle of delayed recruiting contact under the new NCAA Division I lacrosse recruiting legislation. You may think we are exaggerating. But we are not. The number of comments about this new legislation from coaches in other sports (“I wish we had that rule”), college administrators (“how will this be enforced?”), the doubters, and the believers alike, confirm they are all speculating about the new rule. They are all watching.

As a college coach, I am so blessed work with young people who are at a pivotal point in their lives. 18 to 23-year old young women are trying to figure out exactly who they are and what they want to become. For many of them, they are excited to try new things, but it can be a scary time as well. My goal through lacrosse is to show them that passion and energy is far greater than any fear they might have. I want them in all aspects of their lives to see their passion, live their passion and have the confidence to not let their fear stop them.

Do you remember your first time playing lacrosse? Whether you were three, 13, or 30, I bet you felt amazing the first time you caught a pass. You probably laughed out loud and let out a cheer when you scooped the ball cleanly on the first try. What did your first goal feel like? Your first save, or your first assist? Did you celebrate like a lunatic, or stand there dumbfounded because you couldn’t believe you did it? I don’t remember all the details of my early days learning lacrosse. But I do remember the people who taught me and the people who were learning beside me.